AI Now Associate Director Kate Brennan Testifies at the New York City Council Committee on Technology Hearing on the MyCity Portal
NYC's MyCity portal illustrates how government AI infrastructure can embed surveillance and corporate dependency - a cautionary pattern for APS digital service design.
Key points
- AI Now testified against NYC's MyCity portal, citing corporate capture and citizen surveillance risks.
- Proposed digital wallets with spending tracking and 'incentive points' raise significant privacy and ethics concerns.
- US city-level case study; limited direct APS applicability but relevant to government-as-platform design debates.
Summary
AI Now Institute Associate Director Kate Brennan testified to the New York City Council in October 2024 against what she described as corporate capture of the MyCity public AI portal. Her testimony highlighted proposals by the NYC Chief Technology Officer to replace traditional benefits with centralised digital wallets enabling government tracking of citizen spending, including potential 'incentive points' for approved purchases. AI Now argued this model concentrates data advantages with Big Tech firms, increases market concentration, and introduces opaque surveillance infrastructure. The case raises broader questions about the appropriate boundaries of government-as-platform models.
Implications for Australian agencies
- Monitor APS teams working on digital identity, myGov, or government service delivery platforms may want to monitor how the NYC MyCity debate develops as a reference case for design risks.
- Consider Policy and ethics teams could consider whether Australian whole-of-government digital service frameworks adequately address analogous risks around citizen data use, corporate partnerships, and algorithmic benefit delivery.
Implications are AI-generated. Starting points, not advice.
"AI Now Associate Director Kate Brennan Testifies at the New York City Council Committee on Technology Hearing on the MyCity Portal" Source: AI Now Institute – Publications Published: 1 October 2024 URL: https://ainowinstitute.org/publications/policy-brief/ai-nows-testimony-to-new-york-city-council-on-corporate-capture-of-the-mycity-portal AI Now Institute Associate Director Kate Brennan testified to the New York City Council in October 2024 against what she described as corporate capture of the MyCity public AI portal. Her testimony highlighted proposals by the NYC Chief Technology Officer to replace traditional benefits with centralised digital wallets enabling government tracking of citizen spending, including potential 'incentive points' for approved purchases. AI Now argued this model concentrates data advantages with Big Tech firms, increases market concentration, and introduces opaque surveillance infrastructure. The case raises broader questions about the appropriate boundaries of government-as-platform models. Implications for Australian agencies: - [Monitor] APS teams working on digital identity, myGov, or government service delivery platforms may want to monitor how the NYC MyCity debate develops as a reference case for design risks. - [Consider] Policy and ethics teams could consider whether Australian whole-of-government digital service frameworks adequately address analogous risks around citizen data use, corporate partnerships, and algorithmic benefit delivery. Retrieved from SIMS, 18 May 2026.